11/12/2025
Today we were lucky to celebrate our oldest Veteran! Harold “Bus” Neigh, 92, a Marine Corps veteran and beloved community member, was celebrated with a special tribute at Magnolia Place of Saxonburg this Veteran’s Day. Bus’s unique birthday—3/3/33—marked the beginning of a remarkable life defined by commitment, creativity, and love.
Bus Neigh’s military journey began in 1953 when, inspired by the film “Retreat, Hell!” and accompanied by his cousin Floyd, he joined the United States Marine Corps. Despite initial reservations from his girlfriend Joan Michel, who thought he was crazy, the couple’s bond endured. Six months after his enlistment, Bus proposed. After a tour of duty that took him to Camp Lejeune, Korea, and Okinawa, the two were married in February 1956, just months after his discharge from service.
Throughout his life, Bus continued to embody the Marine Corps value of Semper Fi — Always Faithful — a principle that guided his steadfast commitment to family, community, and country. He was known for extending kindness and help in countless ways. But he was especially celebrated for his creativity and ingenuity, which he applied to all sorts of projects and situations. From customizing the family home with unique design elements, to working in architecture, designing gardens, crafting shadow boxes and crucifixes, and even building a Tiki bar, there wasn’t a project that he wouldn’t tackle. Bus’s philosophy, “Better to be 100% done and 80% perfect than to be 80% done and 100% perfect,” inspired those around him to pursue excellence with humility and perseverance.
In 2024, Bus and Joanie transitioned from their home of over 60 years to Magnolia Place of Saxonburg. There, Bus’s devotion was always Joanie, the love of his life. The couple celebrated 69 years of marriage on February 4, 2025, just weeks before Joanie passed. With time to fill and encouraged by a caring aide, Bus returned to his creativity - first sketching, and then painting. Despite being legally blind, he embraced art as a daily hobby. What began with six small bottles of paint on a bedside table has grown into a vibrant collection of finished artwork, along with brushes, matting, frames and other supplies that fill his room with creativity and hope.
In the warmer months, Bus also enjoys spending time outside. At Magnolia Place, he’s continued his lifelong hobby of gardening, bringing his creativity to the task of designing beautiful planters for all to enjoy in the courtyard outside his room.
Today, we honored Bus and 6 other veterans at our Veteran’s Day Celebration. As part of the celebration, Magnolia Place surprised Bus with the Grand Opening of Brushes and Blooms, an Art Gallery dedicated to him, his artwork, his plants, and to the contributions he has made throughout his life to his country, his community, and his family. This room, which adjoins his own, has been transformed into an art studio/gallery, providing Bus with the extra space he needs to continue to grow - not only his plants, but also his talents. In this newly established Brushes and Blooms art room, Magnolia Place is providing a drafting/art table, storage for Bus’s paints and supplies, display space for his artwork, and a seat for visitors who drop in to see his latest creations!
Please stop by to visit Bus the next time that you’re in! 🎨